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Political Science

Political science provides education toward enlightened citizenship and statesmanship, and prepares students for careers in government and politics, law, and business, or for graduate studies in a wide range of professional areas. The general political science curriculum provides knowledge of the theory and practice of political power, authority, and justice, with focus on the United States and the Asian-Pacific region. The program also emphasizes reasoned evaluation of societal principles, analysis of political behavior, and logical expression of thought. These skills are valuable to professionals, public officials, researchers, and educators.

Upon completion of a major or double-major in political science, students will have demonstrated achievement of the following program learning objectives:

Discuss concepts and issues central to the study of politics.

Explain the American political system and its relationship to the Micronesian region.

Apply theories to the study of domestic and international conflict

Compare political systems of Asia Pacific with each other and with those of other regions.

Design a political research project that incorporates principles of social science inquiry

Evaluate political speech and acts for their embedded values

Credit for AP Examinations in Political Science. Students who report a score of 3 on the Advanced Placement U.S. Government examination will (a) fulfill prerequisite requirements of other political science courses for PS202 - Government in the United States, and (b) fulfill the political science major/minor requirement for PS202. Students who report scores of 4 or 5 on this exam will additionally receive three (3) hours of academic credit equivalent to one semester in PS202. Students who report a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Comparative Government examination will be considered to have met the PS101 course requirement for the political science major; however, no academic credit will be awarded.